Student Name: Hannah Caplan Annotation # 1 MLA Citation:
McAllister, Elizabeth A. Peer Teaching and Collaboration in the Language Arts. Bloomington: EDINFO, n.d. Guides-For Classroom Use ISBN-0-927516-21-7. ERIC PlusText. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. <http://catalog.multcolib.org/search~S1?/Ypeer+tutoring>.
INFORMATION: Author’s credentials: Author’s credentials could not be found.
Scope and purpose of the work: Published to an academic journal to display the finding of Mrs. McAllister’s findings of her study
Intended Audience: Academia. The study was published for teachers mainly to implement in their classes.
SUMMARY Thesis or main idea: Peer tutoring allows for learning for each party—the tutee and the tutor.
Summary of main arguments: McAllister’s study provides that in a peer-tutoring situation between students of different ages, each party benefits. The tutee has a greater acceptance to a peer tutor one on one than to a teacher. The tutor also benefits, as they feel a great amount of pride and acceptance when given the opportunity to help another student (especially if this is on a volunteer basis). Finally, McAllister outlines how a peer-tutoring situation may be set up, including full evaluations of each party.
EVIDENCE Summary of evidence: Mrs. McAlllister ran a study for 20 years on peer-tutoring situations and perfected working in a peer-tutor classroom. She bases her conclusions mostly off of evaluations filled out by both the tutors and the tutees. This gives much credibility to McAllister’s study.
EVALUATION Evaluation of research: The study Mrs. McAllister outlines seems very carefully constructed as to not leave any holes or statistical vulnerability.
Evaluation of scope: The directed audience seems to be met, as it is posted in a literary journal. Furthermore, the scope of the information is met.
Evaluation of author bias: While there may be some bias surrounding the success of the project, most of the concrete information, that I evaluated, was based on peer evaluations and findings through student interview.
REFLECTION: I overall feel as though this information is very concrete. Mrs. McAllister’s study had longevity and seemed to lack statistical holes, leading me to conclude that it is a worthwhile source to have. Furthermore, McAllister outlines a peer tutoring paring model which she found successful, and I feel as though I could easily implement a similar model into my own program.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan Annotation # 2 MLA Citation: Barfield, Jean-Paul, Steve Hannigan-Downs, and Lauren J Lieberman. “Implementing a peer tutor program: Strategies for practitioners.” Physical Educator 55.5 (1998): 211-222. ProQuest Education Journals. Web. 28 Sept. 2011. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/232993057?accountid=13997>.
INFORMATION: Author’s credentials: Jean-Paul Barfield-Department of Education and Research at the Lakefield Foundation Steve Hannigan-Downs-Department of Kinesiology at California State University Lauren J Lieverman-Department of Kinesiology at State University of New York
Scope and purpose of the work: The work is informative presenting information to educators about the results of a study performed by the three authors.
Intended Audience: Academia is the intended audience. The authors wish to present their information to teachers encouraging them to implement pieces of their results in the classroom.
SUMMARY Thesis or main idea: The main focus of the article regards cross-age peer tutoring with regards to physical education classes. The article, though, may be applied to any cross-age tutoring situation. The article gives advice on matching tutors and tutees as well as how to select and recruit volunteer tutors (something I will definitely be using).
Summary of main arguments:
Setting up the cross-age tutoring situation may be done via volunteer recruitment
This recruitment may be done through flyers, teacher recommendation or tutee invite
The tutor needs to have a basic grasp of the information desired to be taught to the tutee, or a supervisor must be used in order to answer student and tutor questions.
EVIDENCE Summary of evidence: The article is written based off a study done in a physical education class with special needs children (tutee’s) and volunteer tutors. The article expresses that their conclusions can be easily applied to any tutor/tutee situation, and I agree.
EVALUATION Evaluation of research: The research and conclusions are valid. The study seems to have no signs of holes or statistical issues.
Evaluation of scope: The scope may be a bit grandiose, but I understand the author’s reasoning behind the scope. Of course there may be issues with expanding the tutor/tutee situation to any two people, but for the most part the scope is sailent.
Evaluation of author bias: There is no evidence of author bias.
REFLECTION: The article will be helpful in gathering information on how I will set up my program, as it lays out exactly what is needed in order to have a successful tutor/tutee relationship.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan Annotation # 3 MLA Citation:
Pugh, Kathryne H. “Peer Tutoring Do’s and Don’ts.” Educational Scholarly Journals 87566494 ser. 528 (2005): 7-31. ProQuest Education Journals. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. <http://search.proquest.com/education/docview/203706518/abstract?accountid=13997>. INFORMATION: Author’s credentials: Pugh holds a mastor’s and bachelor’s degrees in English, as well as an Ed. D in educational administration and supervision. Scope and purpose of the work: The work is from an educational journal promoting the positive effects of a well-run peer tutoring program.
Intended Audience: Teachers of middle school and elementary school aged children is the intended audience. SUMMARY Thesis or main idea: There are many aspects of beginning a peer-tutoring program that are essential to the program’s success.
Summary of main arguments: The article discusses first choosing the tutor and the tutee and making effective pairs. The article explains that tutors don’t need to be the smartest children, they must only have a comprehension of the information greater than that of the tutee. The tutor/tutee relationship must be much more personal and friendly when compaired to that of the student/teacher relationship, and a certain amount of fun during the tutoring session is to be expected. The tutee, though, must understand that the tutor deserves respect and when work needs to be accomplished, it must be done. The article continues to dicuss benchmark goals that the program should strive for. Among these is that 60% of students raise their grade a letter during the time of tutoring. The 60% is loose, explains the article, and it may be more practical to lower or raise that number dependant on the tutee’s and the school. Finally, the article discusses program size and expansion. The program should have one tutor for each tutee and each pair should have enough space in the given area to quietly accomplish the tutee’s work. As well, the program should not run for a heanous amount of time. The tutee will be finished after a certain amount of work is accomplished or a concept is grasped and understood fully. These guidelines, poses the article, will create an effective peer tutoring program.
EVIDENCE Summary of evidence: There are many quotes from tutors and tutees alike. These are from children involved in a peer-tutoring relationship. Quotes from the tutors follows:
"One student I had who was having so much trouble doing his multiplication tables in class learned them almost immediately when his tutor [an older student] helped him." "When our counselor asked me if one of my students could be a tutor, I said, Of course. Any time that this girl is someplace other than my class, everything is better/ But surprisingly (to me, anyway) she made a real good tutor. She wants to be one next year, too." EVALUATION Evaluation of research: The research seems very sound. It is supported by student quotes and as well background research ( the ‘reference’ list is quite extensive).
Evaluation of scope: The scope seems accurate—the author believes that peer-tutoring be implimented in more schools, especially in lieu of No Child Left Behind. Therefore, posting to an educational journal is most likely Pugh’s best bet to spread the word.
Evaluation of author bias: No author bias is detected, though the study does not examine failed relationships, which is always a threat when working with children.
REFLECTION: I feel as though the information is very helpful. It makes me think that perhaps I should consider using more than three tutors durning every session. As well, I was interested to learn about learning with fun, and hope to definitely impliment this into my program.
INFORMATION: Author’s credentials: No Credentials could be found, but Gaustad his written 4 articles for ERIC, making her trustworthy.
Scope and purpose of the work: Gaustad’s article presents information about cross-age peer tutoring versus traditional peer tutoring. Her scope is the educational system in general in hopes they will implement a peer tutoring program.
Intended Audience: The author’s intended audience is elementary and middle school age classrooms. She hopes that teachers will see her study in her own classroom and draw from it.
SUMMARY Thesis or main idea: Gaustad begins her article by saying that “Tutoring can adapt instruction to the learner's pace, learning style, and level of understanding. Feedback and correction are immediate. Basic misunderstandings can be quickly identified and corrected, practice provided, and more difficult material introduced as soon as the student is ready”(Gaustad para 1). This analysis is a very succinct version of what she reiterates with examples throughout the rest of her article.
Summary of main arguments: The article examines the many instances where peer tutoring and cross-age peer tutoring has been effective for students of all backgrounds. Gaustad cites examples such as a low achiever in high school tutoring children in elementary school to prevent truancy. She has found that programs such as this are actually very effective two fold—the high school student remains in school and the elementary student gets one on one attention that they may require. She goes on to detail why this paring is effective. She explains that a child tutor speaks more simply than an adult would and as well, there is a bond between all school students that is brought out in the peer tutoring situation. Finally, she lays out a program that could potentially be effective. She explains that there may be some difficulties, and re-parings may be necessary, but that the programs are mostly effective.
EVIDENCE Summary of evidence: It is evident that Gaustad has done her fair share of research and studying to compile this article. She cites at least ten sources that support her article. She as well implemented a peer tutoring situation into her school, which she perfected and outlined in her article.
EVALUATION Evaluation of research: Gaustad’s research seems salient, based off of her citing academic sources as well as the results of her own study.
Evaluation of scope: Gaustad’s scope seems viable. She created a program in a school and presented her information on an educational database mostly viewed by teaching staff.
Evaluation of author bias: Where the article does not seem to have any bias, some may exist. She is not contributing with anyone on her study, so a second opinion is not taken into consideration. If she does have bias, though, she counterbalances it with honesty, explaining how her program had its faults.
REFLECTION: I found this article extremely helpful. It set out a very succinct way to detail my purpose as well as how she trouble shot her program’s failures. I found this interesting, as I felt as though her program was similar to what I wished mine to be.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan Annotation # 5 MLA Citation: Kalkowski, Page. Peer and Cross-Age Tutoring. Education Northwest. School Improvement Research Series, 1995. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. [[http://educationnorthwest.org/webfm_send/499]].
INFORMATION: Author’s credentials: Page is a professor at Boise State University who has written an abundance of articles regarding peer tutoring and peer relations.
Scope and purpose of the work: The scope of the work is teachers and professors. Unlike much of the information I have previously found, this article works with peer tutoring on the college platform. Therefore, the information can not only be used in lower level learning, as the program used is typical of any peer tutoring program, but it may also be used for college students as well.
Intended Audience: The audience that the piece is intended for is professors mostly. Although the information is written so that it may be attributed and implemented into any age of study, it is written rather intelligently, which strays away from implementing the program suggested into very young grades (i.e. ages 4-7). I say this because the program expects more from the tutee and tutors emotionally, and children younger than 7 may not understand this.
SUMMARY Thesis or main idea: Peer tutoring can be very effective in most fields of education, especially when implemented into early education classes opposed to secondary education classes.
Summary of main arguments: What is interesting about this piece of information is that it splits the results of the study into subjects and ages. It explains that in the Math/Science fields, peer tutoring was effective in teaching preliminary information, such as fraction basics and addition basics. In the History/English field, peer tutoring is very effective on learning and retaining understanding of vocabulary. The study continues to discuss who peer tutoring effects. It explains that it is very effective for elementary students, and not so much for secondary students. Cross-Age peer tutoring, on the other hand, is effective for all ages. The tutees learn in an open forum and the tutor’s are given confidence from teaching others. The study goes on to detail how to implement a peer tutoring program, as well as possible issues and how they may be faced and overcome.
EVIDENCE Summary of evidence: This article expertly details the study used to conclude the information. It, unlike all the other articles I have read, includes exact sample sizes and sample evaluation forms (including unbiased/leading questions).
EVALUATION Evaluation of Research It was incredibly easy to analyze this data. The entire study was laid out in front of me to look over and assess. After taking AP statistics, it was easy for me to determine that the study conducted and the results produced were salient.
Evaluation of scope: The scope, teachers, seems very valid. It is posted on a site typically used by teachers to learn new techniques, and therefore the scope is valid.
Evaluation of author bias: It does not appear if there is any bias, even in the questions asked on the evaluation forms.
REFLECTION: I am very pleased that I found this article and the attached study. I feel as though this was the best source I have found thus far in terms of concrete information resulting from a study.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan Annotation # 6
MLA Citation: Whale, Michelle, et al. Cross-age peer tutoring of science in the primary school: Influence on scientific language and thinking. N.p.: Taylor & Francis, 2004. ProQuest Education Journals. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/208813735/13286D5A680307149BA/3?accountid=13997>.
INFORMATION: Author’s credentials: Topping, Keith J: Professor of elementary education and peer learning at the University of Dundee Peter, Carolyn: Professor of secondary education at the University of Dundee Pauline, Stephen: Professor of Child Psychology Whale, Michelle: no information could be found for this author.
Scope and purpose of the work: The work is the published results of a study done in a primary school involving peer involvement in the field of science. It is published to an academic journal, so therefore; the scope is teachers, professors, and other educators.
Intended Audience: The work is written in a way that I can understand, but was also not easy to read. There were not huge, daunting words, but there was a lot of content, which made it necessary to sort through a lot of it. The intended audience is academia: an educated audience who is able to sort and understand the results of the study.
SUMMARY Thesis or main idea: A project hoping to require less parental involvement and more involvement of an assigned, older, peer tutor results in a greater appreciation of the field of science as well as a greater drive to work and accomplish tasks.
Summary of main arguments: An unnamed school found that many students relied heavily on parental involvement when students worked on homework and projects. To alleviate this, the science department assigned each student (roughly in the third grade) with an older student ‘scientist’ (roughly in the fifth grade). The younger student was told to ask any questions to their assigned ‘scientist’ rather than their parents or teachers. The department compared this ‘peer tutoring’ group to a group of student assigned the same project to do by themselves. The department took pre and post project assessments of the students’ ability to understand the concepts involved with the project (mostly regarding scientific method). The results were extremely concrete. Students in the peer tutor situation had a greater appreciation for science and as well as the help of their ‘scientists’. The students in the self-working group, on the other hand, did not understand the concepts as well.
EVIDENCE Summary of evidence: The evidence comes with the pre and post tutor survey. The questions, which were outlines in the report, are non-leading and objective (exactly how any good study frames their questions). The results of these non-leading questions is that the results gleaned i.e. that the peer-tutored students understand the scientific concepts better than the students without a peer tutor, can be taken as strong evidence to promote peer tutoring and its effectiveness.
EVALUATION Evaluation of research: The study seems flawless from my opinion (it is explained in detail in the article). The control group is non-leading, and so are the evaluation questions. The science department did an excellent job demonstrating how peer tutoring can be effective on the science basis and doing so without notable bias.
Evaluation of scope: The scope seems very valid, especially because there are few science peer-tutoring articles and studies that have been conducted. Posting the research to an academic journal allows it to reach the intended audience, and as well, it was written in a way to intrigue academia.
Evaluation of author bias: There does not appear to be any bias, even in the questions asked of the children before and after the peer tutoring situation. The study seems to be salient.
REFLECTION: I am thrilled to have found this study! I have found many studies focusing on English and Math, but few focusing on science. I am excited to see that the study had seemingly no bias, and as well that the study conducted was done in a statistically significant manner.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan Annotation # 7
MLA Citation: Using Peer Tutoring To Facilitate Access. K-8 Access Center. N.p., 2003. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/documents/PeerTutoringFinal.pdf>.
INFORMATION: Author’s credentials: No author was cited. Many sources were used, most of which were not only valid but from college websites, allowing for author credibility.
Scope and purpose of the work: The work is published on a website for K-8 education. The website gives outlines of potential lesson plans as well as tips and hints for running a sound classroom. The scope, therefore, would be Elementary and Middle School teachers, as it is geared completely for teaching children in those schools.
Intended Audience: The article is complex to read and very lengthy. Therefore, it is written mostly for teachers to take what they will from it.
SUMMARY Thesis or main idea: The conclusion statement of the article says it best: “Peer tutoring is an effective educational strategy for classrooms of diverse learners because it promotes academic gains as well as social enhancement”(Using Peer Tutoring To Facilitate Access).
Summary of main arguments: This article is extremely lengthy and reviews many types of tutoring, all of which are useful to me. To be much briefer than the article is, it explains that cross age peer tutoring is easily the most effective when it comes to gaining positive social tendencies as well as grasping material well. The article goes on to detail proof of effectiveness of cross age tutoring and then goes on to explain variations of the concept (such as if the tutor or tutee is disabled or needs extra help). Much of the article was geared around preaching the effectiveness of cross-age peer tutoring, but it closes with meaningful information centered on proof of effectiveness in Math, History, English, Science, and Language, all of which were proven to help tutee cognition and understanding.
EVIDENCE Summary of evidence: Three pages of sources, almost 90% of which are from sources ending in ‘.edu’ is a great amount of evidence to support the validity of the source.
EVALUATION Evaluation of research: The research is extremely comprehensive and effectively sorted so that the reader can pick out what he or she needs to find. All sources are cited, and as well, a list of other sources to visit to continue learning is provided at the end of the article. The research, therefore, is very effective in accomplishing what the author(s) wished: to promote peer tutoring to k-8 teachers.
Evaluation of scope: The scope is absolutely met. The plethora of helpful sources makes it easy to trust, as well as the trustworthy site. It is easy to see that teachers would use this source and the information it contains to influence their classrooms.
Evaluation of author bias: From what I can see, there is little notable bias. Unlike other sources (most of which were studies conducted by the authors) this source was a compilation of sources to create one comprehensive overall opinion. There may be bias if the compiler used an untrustworthy source or evaluated ineffectively, but after looking over the K-8 site, I noted that much of their information was geared completely towards making classrooms better for children and were not opinion based. Therefore, I do not see much bias in this article.
REFLECTION: The article was interesting to read, as it was compilation of works rather than an individual study. Its focus on cross-age peer tutoring and its emphatic appreciation of its effects only boosters my opinion that it is effective no matter who the tutor and tutee are.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan Annotation # 8
MLA Citation: Johnson, Martha, and Jon S Bailey. “Cross-age tutoring: fifth graders as arithmetic tutors for kindergarten children.” UK Pubmed Central. UKPMC Funders Group, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. <http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articles/PMC1311961/reload=0;jsessionid=C4365D87521E98D160A10EFDD4894B9C>.
INFORMATION: Author’s credentials: Martha Johnson-Masters Degree from Florida State University Jon S. Bailey-Professor of Psychology and Education at Florida State University
Scope and purpose of the work: The work is a study conducted on classrooms of kindergarten aged students for 7.5 weeks. The scope is teachers, as it is written very eloquently and intelligently. The purpose is to present the findings of the study involving cross-age peer tutoring to academia.
Intended Audience: The intended audience is teachers, as it is posted to an academic website. It is also written for teachers as seen through the language choice used.
SUMMARY Thesis or main idea: A cross-age study of fifth and kindergarten aged students found that when it comes to learning mathematics for the first time in formal education, fifth graders may work as teachers and friends for kindergarten students to learn more effectively.
Summary of main arguments: Set up like a scientific evaluation, this study is very statistically sound. The researchers paired five fifth graders with five kindergarten students (all randomly chosen and assigned to each other). The researchers also included a control group, which consisted of five kindergarteners learning the same material without the fifth graders’ help. The researchers tested the kindergartener’s knowledge on the topic before, during, and post tutoring. The curriculum was very basic—involving simple addition and subtraction, but researchers found that the fifth graders, though all different, tutored the students to fit their individual needs. If a student had trouble with adding the number nine, for example, the fifth grader would focus in on the number nine until the tutee learned how to add and subtract it to/from any grade level appropriate number. The researchers concluded that fifth graders could work as effective teachers (or if nothing else reinforces) of simple mathematics. They also mention, in their closing paragraph, that encouraging praise given by all the fifth graders used essentially aided the relationship between the tutor and tutee forming a bond that was accessible and comfortable.
EVIDENCE Summary of evidence: The evidence in this case comes with the details of the study given. The study is obviously conducted by someone who is very knowledgeable about statistics and statistical studies and how to form them. The evidence comes with the lack of bias and the sound study that was conducted. The study seems very well thought out, and the comparison to the control group makes it easy to observe results.
EVALUATION Evaluation of research: The research was conducted very intelligently. The study is very sound and based off of an obvious knowledge of statistics. It also was set up intelligently from the psychological standpoint, as pairing fifth grade students with kindergarten students was easily the most effective pairing that the researcher could have chosen. The fifth graders would take the teaching seriously, and the kindergarten students would therefore behave as well resulting in a sound classroom setting—perfect for learning.
Evaluation of scope: The scope seems to be fulfilled, as the source is posted to an educational website. It is also written by a professor, so most likely it is posted elsewhere as well, most likely to journals that teachers of elementary students would read.
Evaluation of author bias: There is no evidence of bias in this study, but it may easily exist based off of the number of students used. The sample was very small, and therefore not very conclusive, but even so, the results are significant due to the concrete proof caused by the two groups.
REFLECTION: I am interested in this article because of the age pairing. Most articles I have found focus on a specific subject and am not concerned with the age of the children, but in this article, much of the focus was involved with the ages of the tutors and tutees used.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan Annotation # 9
MLA Citation: Wright, Jim. “Kids as Reading Helpers: A Peer Tutoring Training Manual.” Intervention Central. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. <http://www.interventioncentral.org/academic-interventions/reading-fluency/kids-reading-helpers-peer-tutor-training-manual>.
INFORMATION: Author’s credentials: Jim Wright: Member of and writer for the National Association of School Psychologists
Scope and purpose of the work: The article is posted to and intervention website for children who may be left behind in learning. This website is intended for teachers who struggle with the no child left behind law and worry about their students falling behind. The site offers ways to alleviate children from being behind on reading due to the help of peer tutors.
Intended Audience: The intended audience is teachers. The article (which is truly a self-written abstract of Wrights book) tells many ways in which children who are falling behind may be helped. This is directly intended for teachers concerned with their students’ progress.
SUMMARY Thesis or main idea: With the threat of students being left behind at such a crucial age, teachers of first grade (where most of the cognitive reading level is established) are urged to have students read with a peer helper.
Summary of main arguments: Wright explains shortly in his abstracted article written about his book that first grade is the most essential grade in a student’s life. It is in the first grade where students are expected to know how to read fluently, even if all words are not contextually understood. Teachers say that they can tell who will excel in reading and who will not simply by evaluation of reading at the end of first grade. To alleviate the gap between those who absolutely can and those who absolutely cannot read, Wright says it is most effective to involve peer tutors who are from an older grade to encourage reading. Wright’s exact methods used are not evaluated in the article, but the article does explain that the peer tutoring in this way not only helps the first grade reading level, but also helps with comprehension of the older student.
EVIDENCE Summary of evidence: There is actually little concrete evidence of the study conducted to solidify these results. The study is not detailed, but the author does cite teacher’s journals for his information regarding first grade reading level, which is promising.
EVALUATION Evaluation of research: The research is actually quite concrete for this article. Almost every paraphrased sentence is cited to an academic paper or journal, which helps make the source credible.
Evaluation of scope: The scope seems to be met in this article. It is posted to an appropriate place and as well includes many citations of seemingly credible works.
Evaluation of author bias: There seems to be little to no bias in this article but I suspect this is because there was little to no information given about the exact terms of the study conducted. Despite this, I still trust this article because it is written by a credible source and includes many citations from credible sources.
REFLECTION: This article is interesting because it focuses on specific grade level and how peer-tutoring at that time is exceptionally effective. Although it does not seem like it, peer tutoring in younger grades may actually be more effective in the long run. I am pleased to have found this article as its focus is not on subject, age, or level; its focus is on targeting a problem and fixing it with peer tutoring.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan Annotation # 10
MLA Citation: Dabkowski, Brendan. “The History of Peer Tutoring.” INTERTEXT-Publications for Students at Syracuse University. N.p., 2000. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. <http://wrt-intertext.syr.edu/viii/dabkowski.html>.
INFORMATION: Author’s credentials: Brendan Dabkowski: No redials could be found for Mr. Dabkowski, but he does have an extensive source list which gives him credibility as an author. (The sources are all scholarly and written in a scholarly tone).
Scope and purpose of the work: The scope of the work is University students focusing on education and psychology, as that is where the article is posted. The purpose is to present rather basic, but helpful information about peer tutoring and cross-age peer tutoring.
Intended Audience: The intended audience is University students as it is posted on a University website.
SUMMARY Thesis or main idea: Peer tutoring allows the tutee to feel more comfortable, especially in asking questions. This allows for a greater grasp of the information at hand.
Summary of main arguments: The article focuses on the tutee—the student being tutored. After a brief history of peer tutoring (most of which I disregarded), the article goes on to talk about the four main reasons that a teacher may begin a peer tutoring program. The first reason is that the teacher may want the students to receive individualized instruction. This allows the tutees to freely ask questions, and tutors to aptly answer (as the pairing in this age is cross-age). The second reason is that the teacher may want the tutee to receive more teaching. In a peer tutoring situation, full attention is given from the tutor to the tutee, so full attention is given on any given task. This allows the tutee to focus and not be distracted by petty distractions. As well, if the tutee requires a break, for any reason, this will not stop the learning process as it would in a classroom setting. Third, the teacher may wish to see if the tutee responds better to their peers than to the teacher (which is commonly the case). Many students for a more ‘dumber down’ version of what the teacher is saying and a peer tutor can provide this. Finally, a teacher may wish for there to be a companionship between the tutor and tutee, especially if the pairing is cross age. This allows the tutee to have a model of education to look up to, which is very important to development of good school habits and work ethic.
EVIDENCE Summary of evidence: The evidence is given in the form of the many citations that the author provides throughout the article. These citations are from credible, educational sources, which is evidence enough to say that the article is credible.
EVALUATION Evaluation of research: The research is lengthy in this case. The source list is extremely long, containing over twenty sources. Therefore, the article is credible and furthermore the research is very effective.
Evaluation of scope: The scope is met through this article as it is posted to a university web page. Therefore, the article is available to University students interested in psychology and education majors.
Evaluation of author bias: I can see no bias in this article. It is very professionally written and presented.
REFLECTION: This article is interesting because it breaks the peer tutoring draw down specifically for the tutee into four sections. No article I have found does exactly this. The four drawing features to using a peer tutoring program sum up what I wish to do in my program, which is also interesting.
Annotation # 1
MLA Citation:
McAllister, Elizabeth A. Peer Teaching and Collaboration in the Language Arts. Bloomington: EDINFO, n.d. Guides-For Classroom Use ISBN-0-927516-21-7. ERIC PlusText. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. <http://catalog.multcolib.org/search~S1?/Ypeer+tutoring>.
INFORMATION:
Author’s credentials:
Author’s credentials could not be found.
Scope and purpose of the work:
Published to an academic journal to display the finding of Mrs. McAllister’s findings of her study
Intended Audience:
Academia. The study was published for teachers mainly to implement in their classes.
SUMMARY
Thesis or main idea:
Peer tutoring allows for learning for each party—the tutee and the tutor.
Summary of main arguments:
McAllister’s study provides that in a peer-tutoring situation between students of different ages, each party benefits. The tutee has a greater acceptance to a peer tutor one on one than to a teacher. The tutor also benefits, as they feel a great amount of pride and acceptance when given the opportunity to help another student (especially if this is on a volunteer basis). Finally, McAllister outlines how a peer-tutoring situation may be set up, including full evaluations of each party.
EVIDENCE
Summary of evidence:
Mrs. McAlllister ran a study for 20 years on peer-tutoring situations and perfected working in a peer-tutor classroom. She bases her conclusions mostly off of evaluations filled out by both the tutors and the tutees. This gives much credibility to McAllister’s study.
EVALUATION
Evaluation of research:
The study Mrs. McAllister outlines seems very carefully constructed as to not leave any holes or statistical vulnerability.
Evaluation of scope:
The directed audience seems to be met, as it is posted in a literary journal. Furthermore, the scope of the information is met.
Evaluation of author bias:
While there may be some bias surrounding the success of the project, most of the concrete information, that I evaluated, was based on peer evaluations and findings through student interview.
REFLECTION:
I overall feel as though this information is very concrete. Mrs. McAllister’s study had longevity and seemed to lack statistical holes, leading me to conclude that it is a worthwhile source to have. Furthermore, McAllister outlines a peer tutoring paring model which she found successful, and I feel as though I could easily implement a similar model into my own program.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan
Annotation # 2
MLA Citation:
Barfield, Jean-Paul, Steve Hannigan-Downs, and Lauren J Lieberman. “Implementing a peer tutor program: Strategies for practitioners.” Physical Educator 55.5 (1998): 211-222. ProQuest Education Journals. Web. 28 Sept. 2011. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/232993057?accountid=13997>.
INFORMATION:
Author’s credentials:
Jean-Paul Barfield-Department of Education and Research at the Lakefield Foundation
Steve Hannigan-Downs-Department of Kinesiology at California State University
Lauren J Lieverman-Department of Kinesiology at State University of New York
Scope and purpose of the work:
The work is informative presenting information to educators about the results of a study performed by the three authors.
Intended Audience:
Academia is the intended audience. The authors wish to present their information to teachers encouraging them to implement pieces of their results in the classroom.
SUMMARY
Thesis or main idea:
The main focus of the article regards cross-age peer tutoring with regards to physical education classes. The article, though, may be applied to any cross-age tutoring situation. The article gives advice on matching tutors and tutees as well as how to select and recruit volunteer tutors (something I will definitely be using).
Summary of main arguments:
EVIDENCE
Summary of evidence:
The article is written based off a study done in a physical education class with special needs children (tutee’s) and volunteer tutors. The article expresses that their conclusions can be easily applied to any tutor/tutee situation, and I agree.
EVALUATION
Evaluation of research:
The research and conclusions are valid. The study seems to have no signs of holes or statistical issues.
Evaluation of scope:
The scope may be a bit grandiose, but I understand the author’s reasoning behind the scope. Of course there may be issues with expanding the tutor/tutee situation to any two people, but for the most part the scope is sailent.
Evaluation of author bias:
There is no evidence of author bias.
REFLECTION:
The article will be helpful in gathering information on how I will set up my program, as it lays out exactly what is needed in order to have a successful tutor/tutee relationship.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan
Annotation # 3
MLA Citation:
Pugh, Kathryne H. “Peer Tutoring Do’s and Don’ts.” Educational Scholarly Journals 87566494 ser. 528 (2005): 7-31. ProQuest Education Journals. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. <http://search.proquest.com/education/docview/203706518/abstract?accountid=13997>.
INFORMATION:
Author’s credentials:
Pugh holds a mastor’s and bachelor’s degrees in English, as well as an Ed. D in educational administration and supervision.
Scope and purpose of the work:
The work is from an educational journal promoting the positive effects of a well-run peer tutoring program.
Intended Audience:
Teachers of middle school and elementary school aged children is the intended audience.
SUMMARY
Thesis or main idea:
There are many aspects of beginning a peer-tutoring program that are essential to the program’s success.
Summary of main arguments:
The article discusses first choosing the tutor and the tutee and making effective pairs. The article explains that tutors don’t need to be the smartest children, they must only have a comprehension of the information greater than that of the tutee. The tutor/tutee relationship must be much more personal and friendly when compaired to that of the student/teacher relationship, and a certain amount of fun during the tutoring session is to be expected. The tutee, though, must understand that the tutor deserves respect and when work needs to be accomplished, it must be done. The article continues to dicuss benchmark goals that the program should strive for. Among these is that 60% of students raise their grade a letter during the time of tutoring. The 60% is loose, explains the article, and it may be more practical to lower or raise that number dependant on the tutee’s and the school. Finally, the article discusses program size and expansion. The program should have one tutor for each tutee and each pair should have enough space in the given area to quietly accomplish the tutee’s work. As well, the program should not run for a heanous amount of time. The tutee will be finished after a certain amount of work is accomplished or a concept is grasped and understood fully. These guidelines, poses the article, will create an effective peer tutoring program.
EVIDENCE
Summary of evidence:
There are many quotes from tutors and tutees alike. These are from children involved in a peer-tutoring relationship. Quotes from the tutors follows:
"One student I had who was having so much trouble doing his multiplication tables in class learned them almost immediately when his tutor [an older student] helped him."
"When our counselor asked me if one of my students could be a tutor, I said, Of course. Any time that this girl is someplace other than my class, everything is better/ But surprisingly (to me, anyway) she made a real good tutor. She wants to be one next year, too."
EVALUATION
Evaluation of research:
The research seems very sound. It is supported by student quotes and as well background research ( the ‘reference’ list is quite extensive).
Evaluation of scope:
The scope seems accurate—the author believes that peer-tutoring be implimented in more schools, especially in lieu of No Child Left Behind. Therefore, posting to an educational journal is most likely Pugh’s best bet to spread the word.
Evaluation of author bias:
No author bias is detected, though the study does not examine failed relationships, which is always a threat when working with children.
REFLECTION:
I feel as though the information is very helpful. It makes me think that perhaps I should consider using more than three tutors durning every session. As well, I was interested to learn about learning with fun, and hope to definitely impliment this into my program.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan
Annotation # 4
MLA Citation:
Gaustad, Joan. Peer and Cross-Age Tutoring. ERIC. N.p., 1993. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. [[http://eric.uoregon.edu/publications/digests/digest079.html]].
INFORMATION:
Author’s credentials:
No Credentials could be found, but Gaustad his written 4 articles for ERIC, making her trustworthy.
Scope and purpose of the work:
Gaustad’s article presents information about cross-age peer tutoring versus traditional peer tutoring. Her scope is the educational system in general in hopes they will implement a peer tutoring program.
Intended Audience:
The author’s intended audience is elementary and middle school age classrooms. She hopes that teachers will see her study in her own classroom and draw from it.
SUMMARY
Thesis or main idea:
Gaustad begins her article by saying that “Tutoring can adapt instruction to the learner's pace, learning style, and level of understanding. Feedback and correction are immediate. Basic misunderstandings can be quickly identified and corrected, practice provided, and more difficult material introduced as soon as the student is ready”(Gaustad para 1). This analysis is a very succinct version of what she reiterates with examples throughout the rest of her article.
Summary of main arguments:
The article examines the many instances where peer tutoring and cross-age peer tutoring has been effective for students of all backgrounds. Gaustad cites examples such as a low achiever in high school tutoring children in elementary school to prevent truancy. She has found that programs such as this are actually very effective two fold—the high school student remains in school and the elementary student gets one on one attention that they may require. She goes on to detail why this paring is effective. She explains that a child tutor speaks more simply than an adult would and as well, there is a bond between all school students that is brought out in the peer tutoring situation. Finally, she lays out a program that could potentially be effective. She explains that there may be some difficulties, and re-parings may be necessary, but that the programs are mostly effective.
EVIDENCE
Summary of evidence:
It is evident that Gaustad has done her fair share of research and studying to compile this article. She cites at least ten sources that support her article. She as well implemented a peer tutoring situation into her school, which she perfected and outlined in her article.
EVALUATION
Evaluation of research:
Gaustad’s research seems salient, based off of her citing academic sources as well as the results of her own study.
Evaluation of scope:
Gaustad’s scope seems viable. She created a program in a school and presented her information on an educational database mostly viewed by teaching staff.
Evaluation of author bias:
Where the article does not seem to have any bias, some may exist. She is not contributing with anyone on her study, so a second opinion is not taken into consideration. If she does have bias, though, she counterbalances it with honesty, explaining how her program had its faults.
REFLECTION:
I found this article extremely helpful. It set out a very succinct way to detail my purpose as well as how she trouble shot her program’s failures. I found this interesting, as I felt as though her program was similar to what I wished mine to be.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan
Annotation # 5
MLA Citation:
Kalkowski, Page. Peer and Cross-Age Tutoring. Education Northwest. School Improvement Research Series, 1995. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. [[http://educationnorthwest.org/webfm_send/499]].
INFORMATION:
Author’s credentials:
Page is a professor at Boise State University who has written an abundance of articles regarding peer tutoring and peer relations.
Scope and purpose of the work:
The scope of the work is teachers and professors. Unlike much of the information I have previously found, this article works with peer tutoring on the college platform. Therefore, the information can not only be used in lower level learning, as the program used is typical of any peer tutoring program, but it may also be used for college students as well.
Intended Audience:
The audience that the piece is intended for is professors mostly. Although the information is written so that it may be attributed and implemented into any age of study, it is written rather intelligently, which strays away from implementing the program suggested into very young grades (i.e. ages 4-7). I say this because the program expects more from the tutee and tutors emotionally, and children younger than 7 may not understand this.
SUMMARY
Thesis or main idea:
Peer tutoring can be very effective in most fields of education, especially when implemented into early education classes opposed to secondary education classes.
Summary of main arguments:
What is interesting about this piece of information is that it splits the results of the study into subjects and ages. It explains that in the Math/Science fields, peer tutoring was effective in teaching preliminary information, such as fraction basics and addition basics. In the History/English field, peer tutoring is very effective on learning and retaining understanding of vocabulary. The study continues to discuss who peer tutoring effects. It explains that it is very effective for elementary students, and not so much for secondary students. Cross-Age peer tutoring, on the other hand, is effective for all ages. The tutees learn in an open forum and the tutor’s are given confidence from teaching others. The study goes on to detail how to implement a peer tutoring program, as well as possible issues and how they may be faced and overcome.
EVIDENCE
Summary of evidence:
This article expertly details the study used to conclude the information. It, unlike all the other articles I have read, includes exact sample sizes and sample evaluation forms (including unbiased/leading questions).
EVALUATION
Evaluation of Research
It was incredibly easy to analyze this data. The entire study was laid out in front of me to look over and assess. After taking AP statistics, it was easy for me to determine that the study conducted and the results produced were salient.
Evaluation of scope:
The scope, teachers, seems very valid. It is posted on a site typically used by teachers to learn new techniques, and therefore the scope is valid.
Evaluation of author bias:
It does not appear if there is any bias, even in the questions asked on the evaluation forms.
REFLECTION:
I am very pleased that I found this article and the attached study. I feel as though this was the best source I have found thus far in terms of concrete information resulting from a study.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan
Annotation # 6
MLA Citation:
Whale, Michelle, et al. Cross-age peer tutoring of science in the primary school: Influence on scientific language and thinking. N.p.: Taylor & Francis, 2004. ProQuest Education Journals. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/208813735/13286D5A680307149BA/3?accountid=13997>.
INFORMATION:
Author’s credentials:
Topping, Keith J: Professor of elementary education and peer learning at the University of Dundee
Peter, Carolyn: Professor of secondary education at the University of Dundee
Pauline, Stephen: Professor of Child Psychology
Whale, Michelle: no information could be found for this author.
Scope and purpose of the work:
The work is the published results of a study done in a primary school involving peer involvement in the field of science. It is published to an academic journal, so therefore; the scope is teachers, professors, and other educators.
Intended Audience:
The work is written in a way that I can understand, but was also not easy to read. There were not huge, daunting words, but there was a lot of content, which made it necessary to sort through a lot of it. The intended audience is academia: an educated audience who is able to sort and understand the results of the study.
SUMMARY
Thesis or main idea:
A project hoping to require less parental involvement and more involvement of an assigned, older, peer tutor results in a greater appreciation of the field of science as well as a greater drive to work and accomplish tasks.
Summary of main arguments:
An unnamed school found that many students relied heavily on parental involvement when students worked on homework and projects. To alleviate this, the science department assigned each student (roughly in the third grade) with an older student ‘scientist’ (roughly in the fifth grade). The younger student was told to ask any questions to their assigned ‘scientist’ rather than their parents or teachers. The department compared this ‘peer tutoring’ group to a group of student assigned the same project to do by themselves. The department took pre and post project assessments of the students’ ability to understand the concepts involved with the project (mostly regarding scientific method). The results were extremely concrete. Students in the peer tutor situation had a greater appreciation for science and as well as the help of their ‘scientists’. The students in the self-working group, on the other hand, did not understand the concepts as well.
EVIDENCE
Summary of evidence:
The evidence comes with the pre and post tutor survey. The questions, which were outlines in the report, are non-leading and objective (exactly how any good study frames their questions). The results of these non-leading questions is that the results gleaned i.e. that the peer-tutored students understand the scientific concepts better than the students without a peer tutor, can be taken as strong evidence to promote peer tutoring and its effectiveness.
EVALUATION
Evaluation of research:
The study seems flawless from my opinion (it is explained in detail in the article). The control group is non-leading, and so are the evaluation questions. The science department did an excellent job demonstrating how peer tutoring can be effective on the science basis and doing so without notable bias.
Evaluation of scope:
The scope seems very valid, especially because there are few science peer-tutoring articles and studies that have been conducted. Posting the research to an academic journal allows it to reach the intended audience, and as well, it was written in a way to intrigue academia.
Evaluation of author bias:
There does not appear to be any bias, even in the questions asked of the children before and after the peer tutoring situation. The study seems to be salient.
REFLECTION:
I am thrilled to have found this study! I have found many studies focusing on English and Math, but few focusing on science. I am excited to see that the study had seemingly no bias, and as well that the study conducted was done in a statistically significant manner.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan
Annotation # 7
MLA Citation:
Using Peer Tutoring To Facilitate Access. K-8 Access Center. N.p., 2003. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/documents/PeerTutoringFinal.pdf>.
INFORMATION:
Author’s credentials:
No author was cited. Many sources were used, most of which were not only valid but from college websites, allowing for author credibility.
Scope and purpose of the work:
The work is published on a website for K-8 education. The website gives outlines of potential lesson plans as well as tips and hints for running a sound classroom. The scope, therefore, would be Elementary and Middle School teachers, as it is geared completely for teaching children in those schools.
Intended Audience:
The article is complex to read and very lengthy. Therefore, it is written mostly for teachers to take what they will from it.
SUMMARY
Thesis or main idea:
The conclusion statement of the article says it best: “Peer tutoring is an effective educational strategy for classrooms of diverse learners because it promotes academic gains as well as social enhancement”(Using Peer Tutoring To Facilitate Access).
Summary of main arguments:
This article is extremely lengthy and reviews many types of tutoring, all of which are useful to me. To be much briefer than the article is, it explains that cross age peer tutoring is easily the most effective when it comes to gaining positive social tendencies as well as grasping material well. The article goes on to detail proof of effectiveness of cross age tutoring and then goes on to explain variations of the concept (such as if the tutor or tutee is disabled or needs extra help). Much of the article was geared around preaching the effectiveness of cross-age peer tutoring, but it closes with meaningful information centered on proof of effectiveness in Math, History, English, Science, and Language, all of which were proven to help tutee cognition and understanding.
EVIDENCE
Summary of evidence:
Three pages of sources, almost 90% of which are from sources ending in ‘.edu’ is a great amount of evidence to support the validity of the source.
EVALUATION
Evaluation of research:
The research is extremely comprehensive and effectively sorted so that the reader can pick out what he or she needs to find. All sources are cited, and as well, a list of other sources to visit to continue learning is provided at the end of the article. The research, therefore, is very effective in accomplishing what the author(s) wished: to promote peer tutoring to k-8 teachers.
Evaluation of scope:
The scope is absolutely met. The plethora of helpful sources makes it easy to trust, as well as the trustworthy site. It is easy to see that teachers would use this source and the information it contains to influence their classrooms.
Evaluation of author bias:
From what I can see, there is little notable bias. Unlike other sources (most of which were studies conducted by the authors) this source was a compilation of sources to create one comprehensive overall opinion. There may be bias if the compiler used an untrustworthy source or evaluated ineffectively, but after looking over the K-8 site, I noted that much of their information was geared completely towards making classrooms better for children and were not opinion based. Therefore, I do not see much bias in this article.
REFLECTION:
The article was interesting to read, as it was compilation of works rather than an individual study. Its focus on cross-age peer tutoring and its emphatic appreciation of its effects only boosters my opinion that it is effective no matter who the tutor and tutee are.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan
Annotation # 8
MLA Citation:
Johnson, Martha, and Jon S Bailey. “Cross-age tutoring: fifth graders as arithmetic tutors for kindergarten children.” UK Pubmed Central. UKPMC Funders Group, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. <http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articles/PMC1311961/reload=0;jsessionid=C4365D87521E98D160A10EFDD4894B9C>.
INFORMATION:
Author’s credentials:
Martha Johnson-Masters Degree from Florida State University
Jon S. Bailey-Professor of Psychology and Education at Florida State University
Scope and purpose of the work:
The work is a study conducted on classrooms of kindergarten aged students for 7.5 weeks. The scope is teachers, as it is written very eloquently and intelligently. The purpose is to present the findings of the study involving cross-age peer tutoring to academia.
Intended Audience:
The intended audience is teachers, as it is posted to an academic website. It is also written for teachers as seen through the language choice used.
SUMMARY
Thesis or main idea:
A cross-age study of fifth and kindergarten aged students found that when it comes to learning mathematics for the first time in formal education, fifth graders may work as teachers and friends for kindergarten students to learn more effectively.
Summary of main arguments:
Set up like a scientific evaluation, this study is very statistically sound. The researchers paired five fifth graders with five kindergarten students (all randomly chosen and assigned to each other). The researchers also included a control group, which consisted of five kindergarteners learning the same material without the fifth graders’ help. The researchers tested the kindergartener’s knowledge on the topic before, during, and post tutoring. The curriculum was very basic—involving simple addition and subtraction, but researchers found that the fifth graders, though all different, tutored the students to fit their individual needs. If a student had trouble with adding the number nine, for example, the fifth grader would focus in on the number nine until the tutee learned how to add and subtract it to/from any grade level appropriate number. The researchers concluded that fifth graders could work as effective teachers (or if nothing else reinforces) of simple mathematics. They also mention, in their closing paragraph, that encouraging praise given by all the fifth graders used essentially aided the relationship between the tutor and tutee forming a bond that was accessible and comfortable.
EVIDENCE
Summary of evidence:
The evidence in this case comes with the details of the study given. The study is obviously conducted by someone who is very knowledgeable about statistics and statistical studies and how to form them. The evidence comes with the lack of bias and the sound study that was conducted. The study seems very well thought out, and the comparison to the control group makes it easy to observe results.
EVALUATION
Evaluation of research:
The research was conducted very intelligently. The study is very sound and based off of an obvious knowledge of statistics. It also was set up intelligently from the psychological standpoint, as pairing fifth grade students with kindergarten students was easily the most effective pairing that the researcher could have chosen. The fifth graders would take the teaching seriously, and the kindergarten students would therefore behave as well resulting in a sound classroom setting—perfect for learning.
Evaluation of scope:
The scope seems to be fulfilled, as the source is posted to an educational website. It is also written by a professor, so most likely it is posted elsewhere as well, most likely to journals that teachers of elementary students would read.
Evaluation of author bias:
There is no evidence of bias in this study, but it may easily exist based off of the number of students used. The sample was very small, and therefore not very conclusive, but even so, the results are significant due to the concrete proof caused by the two groups.
REFLECTION:
I am interested in this article because of the age pairing. Most articles I have found focus on a specific subject and am not concerned with the age of the children, but in this article, much of the focus was involved with the ages of the tutors and tutees used.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan
Annotation # 9
MLA Citation:
Wright, Jim. “Kids as Reading Helpers: A Peer Tutoring Training Manual.” Intervention Central. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. <http://www.interventioncentral.org/academic-interventions/reading-fluency/kids-reading-helpers-peer-tutor-training-manual>.
INFORMATION:
Author’s credentials:
Jim Wright: Member of and writer for the National Association of School Psychologists
Scope and purpose of the work:
The article is posted to and intervention website for children who may be left behind in learning. This website is intended for teachers who struggle with the no child left behind law and worry about their students falling behind. The site offers ways to alleviate children from being behind on reading due to the help of peer tutors.
Intended Audience:
The intended audience is teachers. The article (which is truly a self-written abstract of Wrights book) tells many ways in which children who are falling behind may be helped. This is directly intended for teachers concerned with their students’ progress.
SUMMARY
Thesis or main idea:
With the threat of students being left behind at such a crucial age, teachers of first grade (where most of the cognitive reading level is established) are urged to have students read with a peer helper.
Summary of main arguments:
Wright explains shortly in his abstracted article written about his book that first grade is the most essential grade in a student’s life. It is in the first grade where students are expected to know how to read fluently, even if all words are not contextually understood. Teachers say that they can tell who will excel in reading and who will not simply by evaluation of reading at the end of first grade. To alleviate the gap between those who absolutely can and those who absolutely cannot read, Wright says it is most effective to involve peer tutors who are from an older grade to encourage reading. Wright’s exact methods used are not evaluated in the article, but the article does explain that the peer tutoring in this way not only helps the first grade reading level, but also helps with comprehension of the older student.
EVIDENCE
Summary of evidence:
There is actually little concrete evidence of the study conducted to solidify these results. The study is not detailed, but the author does cite teacher’s journals for his information regarding first grade reading level, which is promising.
EVALUATION
Evaluation of research:
The research is actually quite concrete for this article. Almost every paraphrased sentence is cited to an academic paper or journal, which helps make the source credible.
Evaluation of scope:
The scope seems to be met in this article. It is posted to an appropriate place and as well includes many citations of seemingly credible works.
Evaluation of author bias:
There seems to be little to no bias in this article but I suspect this is because there was little to no information given about the exact terms of the study conducted. Despite this, I still trust this article because it is written by a credible source and includes many citations from credible sources.
REFLECTION:
This article is interesting because it focuses on specific grade level and how peer-tutoring at that time is exceptionally effective. Although it does not seem like it, peer tutoring in younger grades may actually be more effective in the long run. I am pleased to have found this article as its focus is not on subject, age, or level; its focus is on targeting a problem and fixing it with peer tutoring.
Student Name: Hannah Caplan
Annotation # 10
MLA Citation:
Dabkowski, Brendan. “The History of Peer Tutoring.” INTERTEXT-Publications for Students at Syracuse University. N.p., 2000. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. <http://wrt-intertext.syr.edu/viii/dabkowski.html>.
INFORMATION:
Author’s credentials:
Brendan Dabkowski: No redials could be found for Mr. Dabkowski, but he does have an extensive source list which gives him credibility as an author. (The sources are all scholarly and written in a scholarly tone).
Scope and purpose of the work:
The scope of the work is University students focusing on education and psychology, as that is where the article is posted. The purpose is to present rather basic, but helpful information about peer tutoring and cross-age peer tutoring.
Intended Audience:
The intended audience is University students as it is posted on a University website.
SUMMARY
Thesis or main idea:
Peer tutoring allows the tutee to feel more comfortable, especially in asking questions. This allows for a greater grasp of the information at hand.
Summary of main arguments:
The article focuses on the tutee—the student being tutored. After a brief history of peer tutoring (most of which I disregarded), the article goes on to talk about the four main reasons that a teacher may begin a peer tutoring program. The first reason is that the teacher may want the students to receive individualized instruction. This allows the tutees to freely ask questions, and tutors to aptly answer (as the pairing in this age is cross-age). The second reason is that the teacher may want the tutee to receive more teaching. In a peer tutoring situation, full attention is given from the tutor to the tutee, so full attention is given on any given task. This allows the tutee to focus and not be distracted by petty distractions. As well, if the tutee requires a break, for any reason, this will not stop the learning process as it would in a classroom setting. Third, the teacher may wish to see if the tutee responds better to their peers than to the teacher (which is commonly the case). Many students for a more ‘dumber down’ version of what the teacher is saying and a peer tutor can provide this. Finally, a teacher may wish for there to be a companionship between the tutor and tutee, especially if the pairing is cross age. This allows the tutee to have a model of education to look up to, which is very important to development of good school habits and work ethic.
EVIDENCE
Summary of evidence:
The evidence is given in the form of the many citations that the author provides throughout the article. These citations are from credible, educational sources, which is evidence enough to say that the article is credible.
EVALUATION
Evaluation of research:
The research is lengthy in this case. The source list is extremely long, containing over twenty sources. Therefore, the article is credible and furthermore the research is very effective.
Evaluation of scope:
The scope is met through this article as it is posted to a university web page. Therefore, the article is available to University students interested in psychology and education majors.
Evaluation of author bias:
I can see no bias in this article. It is very professionally written and presented.
REFLECTION:
This article is interesting because it breaks the peer tutoring draw down specifically for the tutee into four sections. No article I have found does exactly this. The four drawing features to using a peer tutoring program sum up what I wish to do in my program, which is also interesting.